Methyl ester-based microemulsions for cleaning hard surfaces

Abstract

A cleaning composition containing: (a) from about 1.0 to about 15.0% by weight of a monoethanolamine salt of an alkyl sulfonic acid; (b) from about 3 to about 50% by weight of a C6-C14 methyl ester primary solvent; (c) from about 1.0 to about 15.0% by weight of a short-chain cosurfactant; (d) from about 1 to about 25% by weight of a polar solvent having a water solubility of from about 1 to 5 g / 100 ml; (e) up to about 10.0% by weight of a nonionic surfactant; (f) from about 0.05 to about 3.0% by weight of a thickening agent selected from the group consisting of hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, and mixtures thereof; and (g) remainder, water, all weights being based on the total weight of the composition, and wherein the composition is terpene-free.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 10 / 736,190 filed on Dec. 15, 2003.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT [0002] Not Applicable. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] The present invention generally relates to a cleaning composition. More particularly, the invention relates to a novel cleaning formulation having superior cleaning ability which is readily biodegradable, low in toxicity and volatility, neutral in pH and primarily naturally derived. [0004] General purpose household cleaning compositions for hard surfaces such as metal, glass, ceramic, plastic and linoleum surfaces are commercially available in both powdered and liquid form. Powdered cleaning compositions consist mainly of builder or buffering salts such as phosphates, carbonates, and silicates and although such composition may display good inorganic soil removal, they exhibit inferior cleaning performance on...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0021] The present invention is also directed to a process for cleaning a hard surface substrate involving c...

Problems solved by technology

Powdered cleaning compositions consist mainly of builder or buffering salts such as phosphates, carbonates, and silicates and although such composition may display good inorganic soil removal, they exhibit inferior cleaning performance on organic soils such as greasy / fatty / oily soils.

Nevertheless, liquid cleaning compositions suffer a number of drawbacks which can limit their consumer acceptability.

They generally contain little or no detergency builder salts and consequently they tend to have poor cleaning performance on particulate soil and also lack effectiveness under varying water hardness levels.

In addition, they can suffer problems relating to homogeneity, clarity, and viscosity when used by consumers.

Moreover, the higher in-use surfactant concentration necessary for improved grease and soil removal causes further problems relating to extensive suds formation which requires frequent rinsing and wiping on the part of the consumer.

A problem associated with the use of terpenes such as, for example, d-limonene, is that their price, as a raw material, tends to fluctuate wildly.

Consequently, the cost to manufacture hard surface liquid cleaners containing terpene solvents is financially disadvantageous to both producers and consumers.

Their use, however, is undesirable for environmental reasons due to their limited biodegradation.

This being the case, the use of surfactant thickeners is not an option due to their directly negatively affecting the hydrophilicity of the emulsifier system, thereby destabilizing the optimized formulation.

Similarly, colloidal thickeners are also not suitable for use in methyl ester microemulsions because they result in a loss of transparency and sedimentation.